Craig Bellamy makes bullish prediction about Cardiff City teenager after Wales debut

Ronan Kpakio was handed his Wales senior debut against Canada at the Swansea.com Stadium and faced a stern test

Craig Bellamy has backed Cardiff City teenager Ronan Kpakio to become a "really top player" after an eye-opening debut for Wales against a tough Canada outfit.

The 18-year-old has massively impressed in League One with the Bluebirds this season, with Bellamy already a known admirer of the City academy product. He has played in all of Cardiff's games this season as they sit top of the league without having conceded a goal from open play.

Kpakio has been central to that. So, too, has Dylan Lawlor, who enjoyed a stellar debut against Kazakhstan last week, earning the player of the match gong in the process.

But Kpakio faced a sterner test on Tuesday night, coming up against a talented Canada outfit and he struggled to really show just what he is capable of as Wales fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Unable to really get forward and show his attacking flair, while struggling to deal with Canada's forward outlets at times, the right-back will have learnt a lot from his first taste of international football, of that there is no doubt.

And Bellamy has backed Kpakio to return to his club and push on in the hope that he fulfils his potential.

"We need to push this 18-year-old kid, I need to get him ready," Bellamy said, potentially hinting at Wales' lack of long-term options on the right-hand side of defence.

"Because he's going to be a really top player. You see his profile, he is going to be so athletic."

Bellamy handed a debut to fellow Cardiff product Joel Colwill as well as Coventry City's Kai Andrews, who both produced assured displays in the middle of the park at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Those two, along with Kpakio and Lawlor, will have given Bellamy food for thought with England and Belgium the country's next two opponents in huge games in October.

"Some of the young boys, we have to expose them," he said. "This was the only chance we've really been given to be able to expose them and use the squad in total.

"I thought some of them were outstanding. We can see the gulf - you can see the difference.

"We knew that was going to be the case. But if we don't do it, when are we going to do it?

"I'm not into process and all that, I want the here and now. But I have to understand, I have a group of players, very young, talented ones, I have one or two senior boys who have been with us and not got game time at all.

"You've got to earn a cap. These boys have earned the cap."

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